An undetectable and dangerous rape drug has members of the ISU community on the alert.

Reports of the rape drug GHB, gamma-hydroxy butyrate, have been on the rise in Iowa City, and while the drug has not been reported in Ames, officials don’t want to take any chances.

“People should be aware that there is a strong potential of it being out there,” said John Tinker, director of the Iowa Drug Task Force.

The Department of Public Safety has heard rumors that the drug is in the area, but no reports have been received yet, said Aaron DeLashmutt, investigative officer for DPS.

He said there haven’t been any reports because GHB is nearly impossible to detect.

“Unless the person comes in right away, it leaves the system before it gets reported,” DeLashmutt said.

Like other rape drugs, GHB can leave the body within 12 to 15 hours, but Julie Harders, Sexual Assault Response Team coordinator, said she has heard it leaves the system more quickly than its counterparts. The drug can leave the system just by urinating, she said.

“Without busting somebody with the drug, it’s just hard to know whether it was used or not,” Harders said. “We have had reports of sexual assault in which it sounds like a rape drug was probably used.”

Tinker said the drug is found frequently on the coasts, and officials would not be surprised to find the drug in Ames.

“A lot of times during spring break students visit the coast areas, pick up the drug and bring it back here,” he said.

GHB has no color, odor or taste, making it hard to detect. It also comes in several forms – clear liquid, white powder, a capsule and even a tablet. Harders said the drug acts as a depressant on the central nervous system, and it is often referred to as liquid ecstasy.

“The drug has been reported by being slipped into a drink either from an acquaintance or a stranger,” Tinker said.

Reports have shown that strangers are more likely to slip it into a victim’s drink at a bar, and Tinker warns that students should be aware and take precautions against the drug.

“On dates, be aware of who you’re with. If you’re out with friends, stick with them and don’t let some stranger you meet at the bar drive you home,” he said.

Because of its properties, DeLashmutt said the drug is impossible to detect in a drink, but victims usually have several common symptoms.

“It is a depressant, so when it is combined with alcohol, it can make someone seem really intoxicated,” DeLashmutt said, to the point that a person who has had just one drink may feel the equivalent effects of five or six.

“If you’re with a friend who has only had one drink and seems really intoxicated, keep a close eye,” he said.

Tinker said victims most commonly experience time lapses and don’t remember what happened.

“The best thing to do is use the buddy system, keep track of your drinks and don’t set them down,” DeLashmutt said.

These precautions should be taken seriously because the drug has some very harmful effects, including seizure, comma and death, DeLashmutt said.

“Don’t [even] take an open drink from somebody you know,” he said.